2018-19 “Mr. Georgia Basketball” Watch List

Okoro is the highest ranked prospect in Georgia’s 2019 class and if you have seen his game, you would see why. He has is a thick 6’5” frame that he uses to consistently play above the rim in transition and that same frame makes him an elite defender. The recent Auburn commit is a Gold Medal recipient as a member of the USA’s 17 and under National Team that competed in Argentina at the FIBA World Cup. Okoro also had a successful run on the EYBL circuit with “Athletes of Tomorrow” going 13-3 in the regular season and averaging 17.8 points per game on 62% shooting at Peach Jam. He will look to bring home a state championship to go along with that gold medal and could obtain the state’s top individual honor as well before he heads to Auburn to play for Coach Pearl.Isaac Okoro

Chase Hunter – Westlake (Clemson Commit)

Hunters’ recruiting buzz became more and more relevant towards the end of the summer after running with the Atlanta Xpress and playing well throughout the July live period. The 6’4 guard is lightning quick with the ball in his hands and can knock down perimeter shots in bunches. He brought in over 10 offers during that same span and settled in on Clemson University after he had narrowed his list down to Georgia, Oklahoma, Virginia, Michigan State, and the tigers. Hunter will be looking to take the Westlake Lions deeper in the Class 7A tournament after averaging 15.6 points per game as a junior but the season ending prematurely by McEachern in the second round.

Kyle Sturdivant – Norcross (Southern California Commit)

It seems like Sturdivant has been on the Norcross roster for some time now but that is just the mark of a consistent player throughout the course of a career. The combo guard ran with Nike Team Florida for a second time this past summer and, though alongside the likes of Vernon Carey Jr. and Scottie Barnes, still made this past AAU campaign a productive one. Sturdivant will be looking to lead an experienced Blue Devils squad through Georgia’s highest classification and ideally over the state championship game hurdle, where they have been on the wrong side of the final game for the last two seasons. He is committed to the Trojans of USC, adding another peach state prospect in the last few years to take his talents out west and with a solid senior year he can head west with Mr. Georgia Basketball honors as well.

Devin Butts – Stratford Academy (Mississippi State Commit)

Butts is another senior whose recruiting stock boomed during the AAU evaluation period, with his surge picking up in April. He carried that momentum into June and July with Team Georgia Magic and did so with his three point shooting ability. Having multiple performances with seven three or more three point field goals during games to go along with a 6’4” frame, Butts had college coaches eager for his commitment. He eventually settled on the Bulldogs of Mississippi State just a few days ago and will have his one more year to show what he can do in middle Georgia and in Georgia’s single A classification with Stratford Academy.

Coming off as productive an off-season as any prospect in the peach state, Cooper is looking to become the second straight underclassmen to win Georgia’s Mr. Basketball, with former Newton and current Kentucky Wildcat guard Ashton Hagans accomplishing that feat a year ago (reclassified to c/o 2018). A first that Cooper did accomplish was becoming the first underclassmen to achieve the Nike EYBL’s “Offensive Player of the Year” award averaging an impressive 20.9 points and 6.7 assists per game on the circuit. The 6’ floor general will look to bring that momentum into the season and lead a team looking for a state championship after coming up short in the Elite 8 last season. Cooper has multiple weapons at his disposable including Okoro, Northwestern commit Jared Jones and recent Lower Richland (SC) transfer Christian Brown, which could increase Coopers’ individual numbers as well as McEachern’s win total this season.

Brandon Boston Jr. – Norcross

Like Cooper, Boston Jr. has represented Georgia’s 2020 class well as of late. He is fulfilling the potential that many saw in him just last year, taking his game to another level over this past spring and summer. He just returned from USA basketball’s junior mini camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado going against eighty-six of the best high school prospects in the country. His length is unteachable and he uses his arms to his advantage on his shot, which is one of the smoother and quicker releases you will see. He, along with Sturdivant (mentioned above) will look to pace Norcross and with either two prospects up for Georgia’s prestigious award on the same roster, they are easily one of two to three teams favored to take away the state crown at seasons end.

Walker Kessler – Woodward Academy

Kessler, who is the only true big man on this list, still possesses a lot of guard like qualities which makes his game so potent. The 7′ stretch forward can expand his game all the way to the three point line and but still gets it done with efficiency on the interior. Kessler is not as relevant on the social media side of things but his game speaks for itself as he proved his skilsl all last year with Woodward Academy and with Florida’s Game Elite Adidas Gauntlet squad this summer. He has picked up a number of offers and ACC School’s such as Duke, Wake Forest, and Clemson have made the trip to College Park to see him workout this fall. Coming off a 17-point and 10 rebound per game average as a junior, he has as a good an opportunity as any junior on this list to win the award and take the War Eagles deep into the class 4A state tournament.

Anthony Edwards – Holy Spirit Prep

Now that the season is among us, travel ball talk has simmered down a tad but during the live periods and the rest of the AAU circuit, Edwards was talk of it all. Although shorter, the Holy Spirit guard has Zion Williamson type athleticism with a quick first step with the ball in his hands. He made a habit of rising above shot blockers at the rim for emphatic finishes all spring and summer long on the Atlanta Xpress 17 and under squad. Even though Edwards possesses elite athleticism, his total offensive game is what puts him not only in the top five for the nation’s 2020 class but contention for Georgia’s Mr. Basketball as well. He can shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor and possesses the tenacity to take over games on both ends. He is an automatic 20 point per game scorer and put that scoring prowess on display at the Pangos All-American camp this past June in California. He will look to lead Holy Spirit to another Georgia Independent School Association Title and enter the 2019 live period as the top player in the country outright.